We Love You, Harry
by ChoCedric
Summary: Harry never really remembered what happened to him during the time he was unconscious and close to death in the Philosopher's Stone, but sometimes, at night, he would have dreams of being held and loved, wrapped up in his parents' tender arms. Little did he know that this was because it had actually happened.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

We Love You, Harry

By: ChoCedric

Slowly, consciousness returned to Harry. The last thing he remembered was Voldemort's high, terrifying voice, Quirrell trying to strangle him. He'd never been so scared in all his life.

But now, he could feel the sun warm on his face. Thoughts came, scattered and unfocused. But the most prominent one on his mind was: what am I doing outside?

"Harry, darling." A soft, female voice said in his ear. Harry then realized that he was being held in the arms of someone. He could feel their fingers rubbing his back.

"Harry, darling," the voice said again. "It's okay. Open your eyes."

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, only to be met with startling emerald. He looked into the eyes of the woman holding him, and all at once, a flood of emotions came barreling over him. It couldn't be ... it couldn't possibly be ...

"Mum?" he whispered, hardly being able to believe it.

"Yes, sweetheart." Lily Potter held her son tight, her eyes full of tears. "It's me."

"Don't forget me, I'm here too," came a man's voice from next to her. He chuckled, letting his son know he was joking.

"Dad?" Harry's eyes grew to the size of tennis balls as he turned his head to look at someone who looked almost exactly like him. He had the same round glasses, the same messy hair. The only difference was that his eyes were hazel, not emerald.

"Hello, son," said James Potter. "How goes it?"

Harry was silent for a few moments, drinking in the faces of the two people he'd always dreamed about. Even as a little boy, frightened and sobbing in the cupboard under the stairs, he'd dreamed of them suddenly coming to retrieve him, even though he knew it was impossible. "How ... how?" he croaked, overwhelmed. "Am I ... am I ... dead?"

"No, love, but you're very close," Lily answered, her voice full of raw emotion. "Madame Pomfrey has been working tirelessly to save you. You're suffering from magical exhaustion."

"What ... what's that?" Harry asked softly.

"It's when you've used so much magic that your body cannot handle it," James said, ruffling Harry's hair lovingly. "But Madame Pomfrey has been giving you potions all this time, trying to get you healthy again. And it's working. She's an amazing mediwitch."

"So ... so I can't stay here?" Harry whispered, now drinking in his parents even more. Lily and James felt their hearts break; they were being reunited with their son only to lose him again. But they also knew that Harry had to go back, go back and live his life with the friends who cared about him.

"No, love. You need to return to Hogwarts and let your friends know you're okay," James said. "Ron and Hermione have been beside you whenever they've been allowed. Yes, Ron's okay," he said to Harry's silent question. Madame Pomfrey's had a hard time telling him and Hermione to let you heal." James chuckled sadly, his mind going back to his past with the Marauders. That had been exactly how they were, too.

The look of heartbreak on Harry's face, heartbreak that he had to leave them again, was too much for Lily and James. James joined the embrace, holding onto his son tightly. God, he'd had such a hard life. All the times they'd seen Petunia and Vernon treat the boy like dirt … Lily had wanted nothing more than to scream herself hoarse at her sister. It was torture, not being able to do anything, for those who had crossed the veil couldn't interfere with the living.

But then, Harry gazed at them, a look of determination on his cherubic face. "I'll make you proud," he whispered.

For a few minutes, they held each other, Lily crying softly and James looking at his son with all the love he had never been given.

Finally, Harry broke the silence as he thought back to all the events that had happened to land him here. "What happened to Professor Quirrell?" he asked.

Lily and James exchanged a look. They didn't want to answer that, because they knew that with the good, kind heart Harry had, the answer would devastate him. Yes, Professor Quirrell had been trying to hurt him, but Harry still wouldn't have wanted this result.

The boy looked into his parents' faces and gathered the worst from their silence. "I killed him, didn't I?" he said in a voice filled with horror. "When I touched him, he burned. He's dead because of me." He buried his face in Lily's chest, his entire body shaking.

"He is dead, honey, but it's not because of you." Lily spoke firmly but softly. "The injuries he sustained were bad, but you were only defending yourself. Harry, you cannot be blamed for that. He was trying to hurt you. But the main reason he died was because when Voldemort exited his body, he was too weak to survive."

"You see, when Quirrell was possessed, his entire essence went to Voldemort," James explained. "When Voldemort fled, Quirrell had no strength left."

"So it's not my fault?" Harry asked in a broken voice, and both of his parents felt their hearts squeeze. They knew, in the end, that their little boy would have to defeat Voldemort. And it hurt them more deeply than anything in the world, because they knew Harry wouldn't want to destroy anyone, no matter how evil they were.

"No, it wasn't." James said reassuringly, ruffling Harry's hair again.

Harry sighed, his entire body sagging in relief. "Why did he burn when I touched him, though?" he asked.

"It's a long story," James said quietly. "I'm afraid we can't explain it to you now, because you need to return to life soon. But Albus knows why. He'll explain everything to you. He's also been by your bedside whenever he could be."

"We love you, Harry," Lily whispered, knowing that the time was drawing near for Harry to return to the land of the living. "Never, ever forget that. No matter what anyone says, we will always love you, and we always have."

"And we'll always be watching over you," James added. "Just look for us here." He put his hand over Harry's heart.

"I love you, too," Harry choked out as tiredness stole over him. "Will ... will I remember any of this?"

"We don't know, baby," Lily replied, wishing with all her heart that the answer was yes, that Harry would remember what it was like to be held and loved. "But even if you don't, we hope you never doubt our love for you."

"I won't." Harry whispered as his emerald eyes fluttered closed. "Never."

And so it was, that Lily and James held their son, who was still so, so young, until he disappeared into thin air. The couple then held each other, and Lily wept.

"He'll be okay, Lil," James whispered, gently stroking his wife's hair.

"I know," Lily sobbed. "But it's just so unfair. He still has to go through so much."

James lifted her chin so he could look into her tear-filled emerald eyes. "I know, love." He said softly. "It is unfair. But we'll be with him every step of the way."


End file.
